According to Frans Carlén, a team leader at the Borås Technical Administration, the city's forest management involves great variation. 'We do not manage the forest in the way many people think. There is great variation in the work.
Much involves making environments safe and pleasant while we preserve natural values,' Carlén said. The Technical Administration has fifteen team leaders who lead work teams with people participating in labor market initiatives. These teams are divided into forest and nature conservation teams, carpentry teams, and a smithy team.
We do not manage the forest in the way many people think. There is great variation in the work. Much involves making environments safe and pleasant while we preserve natural values.
Carlén has worked as a team leader for ten years and leads a forest team with five people. The team goes on assignments primarily around Fristad, Borgstena, and Sparsör, as well as in nature reserves. Their work mainly involves measures in the forest, such as forest clearing and nature conservation management.
The team sometimes gets special assignments, such as taking down dangerous trees. Carlén finds much of the work rewarding, noting, 'You see a big difference when we are finished. ' Forest clearing is done in young forest when trees are two to five meters high.
You see a big difference when we are finished. It feels good to do something that is noticeable and appreciated by the residents.
During clearing, certain trees are removed so that those remaining get more light, space, and nutrients, making them grow better and stand more firmly. This type of work is often done near settlements. Before work begins, Carlén goes through the area and decides which trees should be saved, with the goal of creating a multi-layered forest.
When clearing, the team always tries to preserve trees that are important for animals and insects, such as trees that flower or bear fruit. Carlén stated, 'We usually save deciduous trees because they have higher natural values. ' To promote biodiversity, dead trees are also saved where possible, as long as they do not pose a safety risk, as dead trees become habitats for many insects.
The team usually ends the work by putting up birdhouses.